ELSPA's Mike Rawlinson
There’s a sinister enemy at large in the country at the moment, a cowardly enemy that seeks to alter our very way of life. That’s right, videogame pirates. Deputy Director General of ELSPA Michael Rawlinson is making quite a name for himself at the moment. Recently, his efforts saw an Xbox modder convicted, the first time in the UK that chipping has resulted in someone earning a criminal record.
Now a husband and wife are getting quite hefty jail terms after a combined force of police, Trading Standards officials and an ELSPA investigator found a ‘secret cupboard’ containing pirated games, music and films. Official estimates put the haul’s value at around £28,000, in terms of how much would-be customers would have to pay for the media if purchased legitimately.
Making a statement to the press, Michael Rawlinson, perhaps sensing that piracy is not the most pressing issue in the mind of the average citizen, was quick to mention that the couple were "...also lining their pockets with taxpayers’ money". There's more comment from Rawlinson in the official press release http://news.spong.com/x?art=9005
The couple were illegally claiming benefit when they were technically unemployed, and the findings of the Department for Work and Pensions - that they were claiming benefits while making a living through piracy, thus making their claims fraudulent - were damning to say the least.
The couple have split up since the raid which will send them both to jail. Andrew King was sentenced to 21 months in prison, though three months of this was from a previous conviction where his sentence was suspended. Angela Susan King was sent down for six months at Liverpool Crown Court.
Just desserts for petty criminals, or people struggling to make ends meet crushed under the boot-heel of the capitalist machine? Let us know what you think - you know the way to our forums by now.
Now a husband and wife are getting quite hefty jail terms after a combined force of police, Trading Standards officials and an ELSPA investigator found a ‘secret cupboard’ containing pirated games, music and films. Official estimates put the haul’s value at around £28,000, in terms of how much would-be customers would have to pay for the media if purchased legitimately.
Making a statement to the press, Michael Rawlinson, perhaps sensing that piracy is not the most pressing issue in the mind of the average citizen, was quick to mention that the couple were "...also lining their pockets with taxpayers’ money". There's more comment from Rawlinson in the official press release http://news.spong.com/x?art=9005
The couple were illegally claiming benefit when they were technically unemployed, and the findings of the Department for Work and Pensions - that they were claiming benefits while making a living through piracy, thus making their claims fraudulent - were damning to say the least.
The couple have split up since the raid which will send them both to jail. Andrew King was sentenced to 21 months in prison, though three months of this was from a previous conviction where his sentence was suspended. Angela Susan King was sent down for six months at Liverpool Crown Court.
Just desserts for petty criminals, or people struggling to make ends meet crushed under the boot-heel of the capitalist machine? Let us know what you think - you know the way to our forums by now.
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Comments
Hypnotoad 4 Aug 2005 23:53
1/3
Well I don't know about being crushed under a capalist heel exactly, but there's little doubt that they got more than they deserved under the guise of 'see how hard we we can hit piraters now? BEWARE!'.
However, I have a funny feeling that their sentences wouldn't have been nearly as servere should the old greed monster not have reared his ugly head. Ripping off welfare while you're engaging in grey (lets face it, out right illegal) activities is just moronic. I wonder if it was the second Bentley that tipped the cops off.
Now there something to do with soap that you're supposed to warn people going to jail about...hmm can't think of it. N'mind.
However, I have a funny feeling that their sentences wouldn't have been nearly as servere should the old greed monster not have reared his ugly head. Ripping off welfare while you're engaging in grey (lets face it, out right illegal) activities is just moronic. I wonder if it was the second Bentley that tipped the cops off.
Now there something to do with soap that you're supposed to warn people going to jail about...hmm can't think of it. N'mind.
Joji 7 Aug 2005 19:56
2/3
Well I suppose they got their just desserts then. Piracy for profit is very wrong. Modding for you own personal use though I feel gets mixed in with this more serious hurt to the industry.
I think it's about time ELSPA begins to be more careful in how they differentiate between the fan in the street who mods his machine to play games denied him or his region out of passion for games, and the real bad pirates who do it just for the mo money.
In respect to modding I think ELSPA need to be careful, because if a case of a modder ends up in court it could get pretty stupid. Why I say this is because when you buy a car etc it's yours and you can modify it to a certain point, when you buy a console however you are told the opposite. Why should you be able to do one and not the other when both are yours (especially when using long dead games that nobody plays anymore on your Xbox)?
I think it's about time ELSPA begins to be more careful in how they differentiate between the fan in the street who mods his machine to play games denied him or his region out of passion for games, and the real bad pirates who do it just for the mo money.
In respect to modding I think ELSPA need to be careful, because if a case of a modder ends up in court it could get pretty stupid. Why I say this is because when you buy a car etc it's yours and you can modify it to a certain point, when you buy a console however you are told the opposite. Why should you be able to do one and not the other when both are yours (especially when using long dead games that nobody plays anymore on your Xbox)?
ptpeetee 8 Aug 2005 15:58
3/3
The modder in question got a criminal record, but didn't get any jail time. He was given something like 140 hours community service. In my mind, he was doing the same thing as the couple selling pirated games as he wasn't just modding, he was selling modded xboxes with 60 games already installed on the hard drive. He was selling these openly through his own website at an inflated price that shows he was charging extra for the games.
I've got nothing against modding - I wouldn't be able to use Xbox MediaCentre without it. I'm not a big fan of profit from piracy, be it selling copied games on DVDs or hard drives with games already installed.
I've got nothing against modding - I wouldn't be able to use Xbox MediaCentre without it. I'm not a big fan of profit from piracy, be it selling copied games on DVDs or hard drives with games already installed.